‘Absolutely heartbreaking’: Three sperm whales dead on P.E.I. shore

Maria Sarrouh has the latest after three sperm whales died on P.E.I. shores, prompting experts to question what caused the whales to be so close to shore.

Three sperm whales have died after being stranded on P.E.I’s north shore, as responders say there was no way to help.

Images from the scene show the colossal creatures stranded where surf meets sand, on the ocean side of a small cluster of islands near Hardy’s Channel in East Bideford. Boaters first reported the trio Saturday evening to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, who then alerted marine responders.

“We’re not sure if the animals simply got confused and sort of made a wrong turn, or if there’s something underlying in terms of their health,” said Tonya Wimmer, executive director of the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS).

She explains the deep-water species are rarely seen so close to shore, raising red flags. MARS was on site Monday, where experts confirmed the third whale was taking its last breaths.

Wimmer says the whales are too massive for humans to move. These are subadult males, between 33 to 38 feet long and weighing roughly 15 to 20 tonnes. The younger animals travel in groups. Their location means there’s not much responders can do.

“You can’t simply come and pick up the animal, you can’t roll it around. It’s just way too heavy,” Wimmer said. “Where it’s located is on the ocean side of an island … we couldn’t have the proper safety equipment there to help in case the animal rolled.”

She says Eastern Canada does see sperm whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but usually out on the continental shelf in deeper water. While males can migrate to colder waters in summer and join females in the tropics in winter, it’s really strange for sperm whales to be within waters that are 100 metres deep, let alone close to shore and washed up on sandbars.

In nearly 30 years with MARS, Wimmer has handled only a handful of similar incidents, and none allowed for a necropsy to be done. She said necropsies are one of the only ways experts can determine whether illness or injury contributed to a death, but the conditions must be right.

The incident has prompted concern on social media. Wimmer says she appreciates how communities have stepped up, wanting to help.

“It is an absolutely heartbreaking decision to have to make in terms of letting it to take its course. Sometimes nature can be not so nice. But it is unfortunately, the reality for these animals,” Wimmer said.

MARS is working with colleagues from the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Atlantic Region, Parks Canada and the Lennox Island Nature Reserve on next steps.